Metallic fabric.



No. 736,485. PATENTED AUG; 18, 1903.

R. S. BROWN.

METALLIC FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.15. 1900. BENEWEDJULY 2, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 snnms-snnnw 1.

Inventor, Robert SIB) lun,

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No. 736,485. PATENTED AUG. 1s, 1.903. R. s. BROWN.

METALLIC PABRIG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15.. 19am RENEWED JULY 2, 1903.

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UNTTnD STATES Iatented August 18,

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. BROWN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW BRITAIN MACHINE COMPANY," OF NEIV BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

' METALLIC FABRIC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,485, dated August 18, 1903. Application filed November 15, 1900. Renewed July 2, 1903. Serial No.164=,100. Specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

7 Be it known that I, ROBERT S. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State 5 of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic fabrics, and particularly to those kinds of such fabrics 1o employed for use as spring bed-bottoms.

Primarily the object of the invention is the provision of a metallic fabric composed of links and rings whereby the several elements of the fabric may be readily united by ma- I 5 chinery and whereby while still retaining its yielding properties it will be much stronger, and consequently less liable to distortion or breakage under the influence of strain applied thereto.

A further object of the invention is the provision of link-blanks which are flattened or compressed at their bends for the purpose of densifying and so distributing the metal that the hooks subsequently formed on the ends 2 5 of said blanks will be much less liable to be deflected under strain and will alford the greatest possible strength.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a metallic fabric of eyepieces having openings for the reception of the connecting-links and outwardly-curved walls, over which the ends of said connecting-links may be bent by machinery.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a metallic fabric of my invention, showing it applied for use as a bed-bottom. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective hereinafter described. Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modification. Fig. at is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the eyepieces employed in said modification, showing the ends of the connecting-links bent around lips or projections of said eyepieces. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of said eyepieces. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the link-blanks before its ends are bent around the walls or projections of two alined eyepieces. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of said blanks, showing its ends bent to the positions they occupy when the parts are assembled; 5o

and Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views showing the eyepieces employed in the construction illustrated in Fig. 1.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates in a general way my improved fabric shown in use as a metallic bed bottom and connected by springs 6 and 7 with the usual outwardly-curved metallic plates 8, attached to the side bars and end rails of the spring-bed. Designated by the numeral 9 are triangular draw-rods extending from said springs 7 to the eyepieces, hereinafter described, around which the ends of said bars are hooked, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. These eyepieces are designated by the nu meral 1 0 and are shown assembled inFigs. 1 and 2 and detached in Figs. 8 and 9, and each consists of a ring or annulus having an out wardly-curved or convex inner wall, over and upon which the ends of links of peculiar construction may be bent by machinery, as will be hereinafter described.

Heretofore in this class of metallic bed-bob toms where ordinary rings and links were employed to constitute the structure of the fabric the ends of the rods or links have some times given way under strain, and the consequence has been that they have become detached from the rings, thereby impairing the efficiency of the fabric. To avoid this difficulty and at the same time produce a link which may be readily united with an eyepiece by machinery and to afford the most favor- 8'5 able disposition of the metal to resist deflecting strains, I compress or densify the metal of each link 12 at the bend thereof, as at 12 in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, and in virtue of this construction when the ends of such link are bent over and down upon the curved or convex inner surfaces of the eyepieces to form hooks said hooks will remain set in their bent positions and will not be pulled out or become .&and 5.

deflected under strain. By forming the, linkblanks as shown in Fig. 6 they may readily be connected with the eyepieces and a series of them bent down by machinery, in which the endsof the blanks are driven against an anvil or other support and are by it deflected and caused to assume the curved hook form illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7. These links may be formed of wire of any desired form, which when bent over to form hooks, as illustrated in the figures just mentioned, will conform to and closely hug the curved surfaces of the inner walls of the eyepieces or connectingpieces hereinafter described.

As a substitute for the eyepieces illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 8, and 9 I may employ eyepieces in the form of washers 17, (illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5,) these washers being shown assembled in the fabric in Fig. 3 and each consisting of a substantially rectangular base-plate17, preferably having rounded corners (although this is immaterial) and having punched therefrom a series of outwardly-curved and downwardly-bent lips or projections 18, each of which may be provided with a concave surface 18 for the reception of the curved end of the link. As illustrated, the perforations in each of the base-plates 17 are substantially in the form of a cross, the metal at the four corners of said cross being bent outwardly and downwardly, as illustrated in said Figs. The concave surface 18 may be of a shape to conform to the configuration of that of the wire of which the link-blanks are formed. In the illustrations this wire is round, and consequently the convex periphery'thereof fits within the concavities 18 of the lips or projections 18, as illustrated in .Fig. 4.

It is particularly to be noted that in both forms of the invention the ends 12 of the links 12 are bentover and down upon a curved surface of considerable amplitude, and whether this surface be on an eyepiece in the form of a ring, washer, or other link-connecting device is immaterial, for in each the curved hook-shaped ends of the links closely fit said surface and in the form illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 are allowed considerable play around the same to conform to the various movements of the fabric when it is employed as a spring bed-bottom. The peculiar links or connecting-rods, with hook-shaped ends, may, however, be employed with rings or eyepieces of any suitable form, and the invention is not limited. to the use of such devices with the particular eyepieces illustrated.

In the constructions illustrated it will be seen that the fabric is composed of a series of longitudinal links or connecting-pieces having hook-shaped ends and a series of like devices extending transversely of. said fabric, all of the links being connected to the eyepieces to form a multiplicity of yielding squares or sections, the end eyepieces being connected by the spiral springs described to the longitu dinally-c'urved end plates 8, which, as illustrated in Fig. 1, may be secured by screws 8 to the end bars of the bed. In virtue of this construction compensation is made for the inward spring of the wooden end bars and sagging and rolling of the fabric toward the center are absolutely prevented,'for, as is obvious, the curve of the end plates will cause the tension of the springs 6 and 7 at the middle portions of the ends of the fabric to be somewhat greater than that of said springs located between said middle portion and the ends of the plates. To secure the best results, the springs 7 are made of somewhat greater efficiency than the springs 6, whereby lighter and heavier springs are provided, which while permitting the fabric to yield and accomplish its function, yet will prevent undue sagging under the weight applied thereto.

At the sides of the fabric the eyepieces 10 or the washers 17 are flattened at 10 and 17 respectively, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, so that there will be no interference with the side rails of the bed-bottom.

In Fig. 2 a section of the fabric is illustrated connected to one of the end bars 20 (shown as an angle-iron) of the metal frame of a metallic bedstead, a sleeve 21 projecting from said end bar and serving to receive the usual side rail 22.

While the arrangement of springs shown is preferable, the invention is not limited thereto, for other kinds of springs may be employed, if desired. In the construction described the various elements are so disposed that a great degree of elasticity and adaptability of the fabric to the body are provided for, and, furthermore, this fabric and its end bars (shown in Fig. 1) may be readily folded or rolled into compact form for transportation.

Changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the various components of the fabric without departure from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The improved metallic fabric herein described, it consisting of the combination of sets of links and eyepieces, the said links consisting of blanks made of wire bent .into hooked form and stifiened in the bends by compacting the metal, as set forth, and then assembled in interlocking engagement with the eyes, the extended ends of the blank beyond the said stifiened hook portion being ICC closed down forsecuring the interlock, where- 'by in the completed fabric the link stress is lips or projections concaved on their top sureach link being compressed at its bends to prevent deflection of the bent ends of said 10 links.

' ROBERT S. BROWN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. BLODGETT, GEO. E. ELLIOTT. 

